The operational leadership team from Youth Music Monterey County: from left, Vanisha Evans Douvon, executive director; Farkhad Khudyev, artistic and music director; and Aleksey Klyushnik, operations assistant and cello/bass coach on Jan. 29 at the YMMC office, Monterey.

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Jan Austin | For The Salinas Californian

A gentle, soft-spoken man, Farkhad Khudyev, began studying violin, piano and composition as a six-year-old boy in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan. He now serves as artistic and music director for Youth Music Monterey County (YMMC).

YMMC supports a Junior Youth and an Honors Orchestra. The Junior Youth Orchestra (Young Intermediate Level Repertoire) has students from age 7 and up. The Honors Orchestra (Young Advanced Level Repertoire) plays full symphonic scores and is open to students up to the age of 20.

They also offer a South County Strings Program and the YMMC Chamber Players. Their goal is to ...